The present invention generally relates to snowshoes and their method of manufacture.
With the increasing awareness for the need for exercise and fitness for good health, fitness programs include a variety of activities such as walking to stress the cardiovascular system. However, inclement winter weather hampers outdoor activity due to icy and snowy conditions. Further, it is desirable to perform such activities in a natural setting away from city streets, sidewalks, and like artificial paths where snow conditions may restrict passage. Furthermore, a need exists for activities which stress the cardiovascular system but reduce the pounding and jarring on the feet, ankles and legs as in running.
Snowshoeing is an activity which meets these criteria for fitness programs. However, snowshoeing has not achieved the acclamation it should have in fitness programs. One of the reasons that snowshoeing has not achieved its rightful position in such fitness programs is the deficiencies arising from the equipment available. Specifically, traditional wood and rawhide snowshoes are quite expensive and require considerable maintenance. Particularly, the wood frame must be varnished periodically and proper care must be taken of the rawhide webbing to prevent hardening, cracking, and tearing from contact with the elements including snow, ice, and moisture when in use and air while in storage. Snowshoes formed of plastic material have been available. Although maintenance is reduced, plastic snowshoes are brittle, especially when utilized under cold conditions, are subject to cracking and do not allow flexing to cushion the user's legs during use as do traditional snowshoes.
Thus, a need exists for snowshoes which obtain the advantages of traditional snowshoes while eliminating the maintenance and cost requirements thereof and without acquiring the deficiencies inherent in plastic snowshoes.